Cyclists will get a first look at more than a million Christmas lights before a single car drives through Jackson County’s holiday display. The 10th annual Trip the Light Fantastic bike ride rolls through the Frank White Jr. Sports Complex in Lee’s Summit on Sunday, Nov. 22, giving riders a free, 4.5-mile preview of Christmas in the Park before it opens to vehicle traffic on Nov. 25.
Jackson County Parks will host the free ride, which requires no registration, according to FOX4KC.com. The course winds through the park at 3901 SW Longview Road, passing more than 200 animated displays illuminated by over one million lights. Adult and experienced cyclists are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m., with families following at 6 p.m., and the course closes at 7 p.m.
The holiday display has a much longer history than the bike ride: Jackson County says Christmas in the Park opened in 1987 and had welcomed nearly 3 million visitors by 2024. The drive-through tradition features animated scenes along the Longview area route, while the bike event gives cyclists a chance to see the lights on a separate, car-free ride. Jackson County’s history of the display traces its growth over decades.
Lights, Helmets and a Decade of Tradition
Participants must use bicycle headlights and helmets for the ride, and organizers are encouraging cyclists to decorate their bikes with their own festive lights and holiday trimmings. A route map posted at makeyourdayhere.com notes the 4.5-mile course requires lights and helmets, and details an extra stop along the way: complimentary coffee and hot chocolate at Gusto.
Because portions of the course run through dark and hilly terrain, children under 10 are subject to parental discretion, per the same account. The event has now been held for 10 years, making this year’s ride a milestone edition of the tradition.
The ride has also become a large annual gathering in its own right. The event averages about 3,000 attendees, turning the preview into a significant part of the county’s holiday programming rather than simply an early viewing of the lights.
County Executive Touts a Distinctive Holiday Kickoff
Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota said the ride gives families a special way to begin the holiday season, and he described riding through more than a million Christmas lights before vehicles enter the park as a distinctive experience. LeVota said the free tradition brings the community together, and he encouraged everyone to attend and enjoy the event.
Once the bikes clear out, Christmas in the Park opens to vehicles on Nov. 25, letting drivers take in the same animated light displays at their own pace. For now, though, the pedal-powered preview belongs to anyone willing to strap on a helmet, clip on some lights, and roll through the dark ahead of the crowds.
